Spring construction



Feb. 18, 1930. J L. M aclNERNEY 1,747,374

SPRING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 25, 1927 J M4 i Patented Feb. 18, 1930UNITED STATES JAMES L. MAGINEBNEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN SPRING-CONSTRUCTION Application filed June 25, 1927. Serial no. 201,424.

This invention relates to improvements in spring constructions, and maybe applied to automobile seats, furniture upholstery, cushions,mattresses and the like.

5 It has been customary in the construction of automobile seats toprepare a spring filled mat for the interior 0 the seat, the springsbeing enclosed in fabric pockets to separate them from each other. Inorder to provide strong and durable side edges for the seat, two or morecoiled springs have been placed in each of the pockets constituting theside rows of pockets of the spring mat. This construction isobjectionable for several reasons,

and particularly because some types of filling machines are not adaptedto place more than one spring in a pocket, so that hand labor isrequired.

My invention contemplates the use of springs of relatively smalldiameter and stronger and stiifer than ordinary cushion springs, incombination with the usual fabric pocketed, coiled springs constitutingthe mat or interior of the structure. By my said invention I obviate thenecessity for'using double or triple springs in certain of the pockets,and avoid the use of hand labor. I

also lessen the amount of upholstery padding heretofore required to fillthe spaces between the springs constituting the edge rows and the outercovering.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a seat construction, broken away, showin myinvention as applied to a construction wherein the springs are in nestedor staggered arrangement.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section and broken away, to showthe interior edge construction.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, show.- ing m invention asapplied to a construction w erein the springs are in what is calledsquare arrangement.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, artly in section, showing amodification o the invention.

Figure 5 is a side view, showing part of the spring filled fabric stripused in the modified form illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a modified form of strip.

In the drawings I have shown m invention as bein embodied in an automoile seat,

but as state it may be applied to mattressesand other springfilledstructures.

A indicates the usual base or support; B, the outer covering, and C,upholstery padding. A plurality of fabric strips formed into pockets 10fthe type shown in the Mar shall Patent, No. 685,160; contain coiledsprings 2. The strips may be arranged so that the springs will be innested or staggered relation, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, or be side byside to make the square arrangement shown in Figure 3. Adjacent rows ofsprings 2 in pockets 1 are preferably stitched, or stapled, together toretain them in proper position within the upholstery. cover B. Be-

tween the spring-filled pockets 1 forming the side or edge of the seat,I place an auxiliary coiled spring 3 of much smaller diameter than thesprings 2, and made of stronger wire rings 4: or other suitable meansconnecting said springs 3 to the adjacent springs 2. The space betweenthe springs 2 and 3 and the cover B is filled with. upholstery padding C(omitted from the plan view for the sake of clearness).

It will be noted that the use of my invention very materially reducesthe space to be 1 padded between the edge row of pockets and the coverB, and especially so in the nested form.

In Figures 4 and 5, I have shown a fabric strip 5, folded upon itselfand stitched transversely at 6 to form pockets 7 for the springs 3, andintermediate sections 8 between the pockets 7. After the springs 3 areinserted in the pockets 7, the strip 5 is stitched longitudinally asindicated at 9 to close the pockets 7, and said strip attached to, theedge row of pockets 1. The use of this form produces a ve firm side edgefor the seat construction,1n which the auxiliary springs3 are completelyenclosed in fabric pockets 7 and the fabric sections 8 between saidpockets are utilized to connect and hold the sprin 3 and 2 in properrelative position as we as to overlie and protect the ed es of thesprings 2/ The s rings 3 in the fabric strips 5 may be connecteto-the'body springs 2 in any de sired manner. A

In Figure 6, I have shown a strip 5 stitched at 6 to form pockets 7 forholding the springs 3, but the intermediate sections 8 are eliminated,only sufiicient fabric being left between the lines of stitches 6 formineach pocket, to permit cutting as indicated y the lines 10. After thesprings 3 are placed in the cut apart pockets 7, they are connected tothe bod springs 2 by hog rings 4, or by stitching.

mm the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have produced a seat ormattress construction having a firm, strong edge, without having to usedouble or triple SPI'IIIES in certain of the pockets and without t econsequent hand labor required to assemble the same; and a constructionwherein a smooth side edge is produced without the use of an unduequantlty of paddixag material.

It is manifest that coile springs in fabric Bockets of a type other thanthe Marshall, erein shown and described, may be used to form the body ofthe spring mat.

IAolaim as my invention: 1

'sprin construction com rising a p urality of tbric pockets, a coiledspring in each pocket, said pocketed springs being connected together.to form a unitary structure,

a fabric strip folded longitudinally upon itself and stitchedtransversely to form ockets and intermediate sections, an aux1iaryslpring' in each racket, the said pocketed auxiary springs ing arran edbetween the springs constituting an e ge row of the spring structure,and the intermediate strip section between the auxiliary springpocketsbein parallel with and adjacent to the outer si e walls of the springsof the edge row between said auxiliary springs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix mysignature this 21 day of June, 1927.

JAMES L. MACINERNEY-

